Asch and Arietta's Journey
by misscupcaka
Summary: What if Asch and Arietta spent time together? The girl who has only known a single friend who has passed away without her notice and a nobleman lost his entire existence to a clone.


**Asch and Arietta are sent to investigate the Zao Ruins to uncover and locate the sephiroth. **

**Arietta is against the idea since this could lead to potential harm to the Fon Master. She has never cooperated with Asch before, despite them both in the same prestige. The whole ordeal is awkward for her, wouldn't her monster be enough? And Asch does seem like the lone-wolf-type.**

**To Asch, this mission is nothing more than a direct order from Van. He did not mind Arietta's assistance. Arietta has a vast monster network, along with great support. He did not attempt to deny the order, aware of the potential threat lurking in this ancient ruin.**

* * *

_"Asch, this must be the entrance," Arietta informed him. Her posture is confident, with one liger subordinate by her side. However, at the same time, Arietta is reckless and not vigilant. She did not observe the proximity of any danger._

_On the other hand, Asch remained silent, scanning the area, remembering to take heed of the fearsome threat. His instincts are sharp. He failed to detect a threat in the vicinity so far. "Right. Let's head in and search for the sephiroth." As the leader of this group, Asch leads the way. _

_Upon entering the dark cavern, a small beam of light pierces down the center, the sand falling like an endless river gleams with shining grace. The enchanting scenery caught Arietta's attention. She drifts casually to the stone edge of the ruins fence, glancing down at the hollow pit._

_"From what I can recognize, there is a single path at the bottom." Once again, the pinkette informed him, returning her position to him. _

_Asch nods his head, leading her along with the liger down to the bottom layer. His mouth did not seem to move; however, his eyes did search for any potential threats._

_They followed the single stone path until it opened into multiple branches. Arietta stood in awe. This ruin was practically an entire village. _

_Asch ponders for a moment to collect his thoughts more clearly. He noticed. The infrastructure changed greatly. The stone bridges had a lot of cracks and massive damage to them. The route to the left has less amount of notable damage. "We will head this way." He was cautious and watched his every step._

_Of course, Arietta followed behind her companion. As they continue their hunt to discover the sephiroth, Arietta is still in awe. It was hard to believe this place was once filled with beautiful humans. In a way, the severe damage remains her of her home. _

_They search and search until reaching the sephiroth._

_"Stay close," Asch said with no meaning behind the word. Even though only the fon master can access the entrance, Asch decides to inspect it._

_Arietta becomes idle and bored. She plays with the liger to pass some time. _

_Suddenly an abnormal earthquake occurs, shocking Arietta. The linger howls sensing the presence of a beast._

_A Tyrannopion, a beast from the past, descends from the sky. The feracious monster attacks the liger along with Arietta. Asch turns to the battlefield, casting a spell. Sharp ice blades pour down from the sky, dealing hardly any damage to the unknown elemental beast. _

_"Dammit..!" Asch is disappointed. It didn't even flinch. Immediately, Asch draws his sword, running cautiously towards the beast, awaiting the perfect opportunity to the deal damage. _

_Arietta's linger groans, enduring the pain. Unable to help her friend, but able to protect the linger's life, she cast a negative gate. Once again, their magical prowess is far too inferior. _

_Tyrannopion's target is Arietta. With Negative gate active, Asch uses the opportunity to slash the beast. His sword repelled, deflecting, and failing to harm to the monster. "Time to go!" He shouted, dashing towards Arietta. _

_Asch and Arietta are in grave danger! They run to the bridge with the linger lagging behind them. And now, the beast generates a destructive blast in its mouth, unleashing the devastating force on the bridge. The explosion separates the linger, descending into a bottomless pit, a fall of endless darkness._

_Arietta's small heart beats like a drum, closing her eyes shut and falling helplessly. Asch reacts in pure instinct, reaching for his unconscious comrade's hand. There is no fear present in his eyes, coiling his arms around her small shape, allowing her to rest on top of him as he gravities down._

_Asch and Arietta lie on the bridge, both unconscious._


End file.
